How safe are Colorado's ski slopes?

One of Colorado's top winter pastimes is also one of its most dangerous.

Jan. 17, 2014

Experienced male skiers on moderate groomed runs are those at highest risk and deaths are rarely on the easiest or most difficult slopes. Studies show that fewer than one death in 10 was on a green run and only 3.5 percent were on double black runs. / Courtesy of Copper Mountain Resort

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Your Responsibility Code

• Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. • People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. • You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above. • Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others. • Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment. • Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas. • Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

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Skiing is one of Colorado’s favorite pastime, and it is also Colorado’s most dangerous. A lot can go wrong skiing down a slope at speeds greater than 20 miles per hour. There could be a patch of ice, trees or hidden rocks. Take a tumble and you could sustain a serious injury — or even death.

Professional race car driver Michael Schumacher’s December accident in the Alps has propelled the discussion of skiing and snowboarding’s risks and fueled a debate about helmet use. Lindsey Vonn, America’s sweetheart downhill skier, is recovering from surgery on her knee following an anterior cruciate ligament tear sustained on the slopes.

Here’s a look at the danger of skiing and snowboarding and who, when and where and how people get hurt and die on the slopes, according to recent studies. To keep you safe, read on how you can avoid landing yourself in the hospital.

Question: How many people die every year from skiing and snowboarding accidents?

Answer: For the last 10 years, an average of just fewer than 42 people lose their lives on the slopes as a result of accidents in skiing and snowboarding in the U.S., according to the the National Ski Areas Association. Colorado accounts for about 10 of those deaths.

Q: OK, put that number in perspective. How many people are skiing and snowboarding?

A: The number of skiing and snowboarding deaths are low considering how many people visit Colorado resorts each year. The state logged 11 million skier visits in 2011-12 and had 19 deaths, Colorado’s deadliest season ever.

According to the National Sporting Goods Association, there was an estimated 9.8 million ski/snowboard participants in 2011-12, logging 51 million participation days. There were 54 fatalities in the U.S. in 2011-12, meaning there were 5.5 fatalities per million participants.

Q: Who is most at risk for suffering a fatality while skiing and snowboarding?

A: Thirty-nine of the fatalities in 2011-12 were skiers (33 male, six female) and 12 of the fatalities were snowboarders, (10 male, two female), according to the National Ski Areas Association. Victims are predominantly male (85 percent) from their late teens to late 30s (70 percent), according to Dr. Jasper Shealy of the Rochester Institute of Technology, who has studied ski-related injuries for more than 30 years.

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Experienced male skiers on moderate groomed runs are those at highest risk. Deaths are rarely on the easiest or most difficult slopes. Shealy’s studies found fewer than one death in 10 was on a green run and only 3.5 percent were on double black runs.

Two-thirds (36) of those involved in fatal accidents in 2011-12 were reported as wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.

Q: That begs the question of do helmets reduce injuries or fatalities?

A: Helmets do reduce injuries, but not fatalities. Recent research has shown the use of a helmet reduces incidence of any head injury by 30 to 50 percent. Helmets are most effective providing protection from less severe head injuries such as scalp lacerations, but are less effective with severe injuries. Most on-mountain fatal trauma is caused by head impact with stationary objects at speeds of 27 mph. Shealy suggests helmet wearers are more likely to take risks, traveling 5 percent faster than those without.

Helmets probably do not make a large difference in the number of deaths because of the sheer speed of impact. However, Schumacher was wearing a helmet at the time of his high-speed accident in the Alps that left him in the hospital (he’s now in stable condition). His helmet cracked from the impact and doctors have said it was the reason he was still alive.

Q: Are more people wearing helmets?

A: Yes. According to the 2011-12 National Ski Areas Association National Demographic Study, 67 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets while on the slopes, a 10 percent increase from the the 2010-11 season. In 2002-03, only 25 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets.

A: According to Dr. Mike Langran, a Scottish doctor who specializes in ski safety (www.ski-injury.com), the injury rate for skiing and snowboarding has been stable for the last five years. This is after a 50 percent decline in injuries since the early 1970s, mainly due to the development of release bindings and ski brakes. These advances in equipment have led to big reductions in the incidence of lower leg fractures and lacerations. In the same time frame, however, there was a 240 percent increase in the rate of serious knee injuries — mainly ACL tears.

The ACL injury rate then remained static for 10 seasons at 1 injury per 2,200 days skiing, Langran said. In the last four years, there appears to have been a decrease in ACL injury rates. It's possible the shorter tail on new carving skis are helping to reduce the incidence of ACL injuries. Many researchers believe the widespread use of carving skis also explains the downward trend in alpine ski injuries in the last five years.

Langran said the injury rate for skiing and snowboarding is about 2-4 injuries per 1,000 days spent on the slopes.

Q: Are the rates of collisions among skiers and snowboarders on the rise?

A: The number of collisions accidents with other skiers or snowboarders accounts for only 6.4 percent of reported accidents. Alpine skiers are three times more likely to be involved in a collision with other people than snowboarders.

Q:What are ski areas doing to improve safety?

A: January is National Safety Month at ski resorts across the country and Colorado Ski Country USA member resorts have hosted safety-related programs and activities throughout the month to raise awareness. Aspen Skiing Co. has 10 to 15 workers dedicated to slowing down skiers and snowboarders in specific zones at its four ski areas. In mountain communities, resort staff have visited schools to educate kids on safe skiing and snowboarding practices.

Xplore reporter Stephen Meyers covers the outdoors and recreation for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter @stemeyer or Facebook.com/meyersreports.